Hello Bob. I need your expert advice. I had receptive oral sex about 6 weeks ago and swallowed a small amount of semen. I had no bleeding gums, cuts or sores that I was aware of. The guy is positive as I found out afterward. He has been positive for a while. I became ill at three weeks with fatigue and achy joints. I have had no fever or night sweats but my lymph nodes are swollen, tender and one in my elbow is huge. I had an oral HIV test at 5 weeks that is negative. What do you think? I had always heard oral sex was really low sex but after reading posts on your website, I feel I have made a grave mistake. I read something about the tonsils making someone susceptible to acquiring HIV. Help! How long after ARS should someone expect to become HIV on a test? Having a hard time sleeping tonight so I'd thought I'd try to get some answers. Thanks.

Hi,

What do I think? I've expressed my opinion about oral sex at least a gazillion times and I haven't changed that opinion. Check out the archives of this forum. We have an entire chapter devoted to oral sex!

To briefly respond to your questions:

1. A five-week negative test is encouraging, but not conclusive. You'll have to wait for the three- or six-month mark for that. The CDC recommends a test at six months for folks who have had a significant HIV exposure to someone confirmed to be HIV infected.

2. Oral sex carries only a very low risk for HIV acquisition or transmission.

3. Most HIV-infected folks will have detectable levels of anti-HIV antibodies in their blood within four to six weeks. However, HIV-antibody tests taken prior to the three-month mark are not considered to be definitive.

4. Most HIV-infected folks will have detectable levels of anti-HIV antibodies in their blood within four to six weeks. However, HIV-antibody tests taken prior to the three-month mark are not considered to be definitive.

Thanks for your donation to the Robert James Frascino AIDS Foundation (www.concertedeffort.org). It's warmly appreciated. In return I'm sending you my good-luck karma that your definitive HIV test remains negative. (I'm confident it will!)

Peruse the information in the archives of this forum. You should find the information and testimonials there both enlightening and reassuring.

Good luck.

Dr. Bob